The problem with "activism" is that it usually requires a bit of assertive or zealous action, be it extra effort or doing slightly peculiar things. As I've said elsewhere, whatever you do, "Have a lot of fun."

For the most part, this particular page focuses on two things:

1. Reducing the quality of telephone number collection and "data mining"; and
2. Encouraging others to not encourage telescum.

You can let these social conventions work with the victim. By being non-hostile (and in fact friendly), the victim:

1. Keeps telemarketers engaged longer;
2. Consumes resources;
3. Makes it more difficult to write a telemarketing script which disregards the interests of the telemarketer's "marks" (victims).

PURPOSE

The purpose of this page is to focus on ways to encourage others to discourage certain "opt-out" telemarketing practices. A small amount of action by many is more effective than a greater effort by a single individual.

Besides, much of this will also reduce harassment to the individual as well. More information on reducing telemarketing harassment to the individual is at the main Telemarketing Scum Page.

---

Telemarketing Rules (US)

The US national "Do Not Call" list has started accepting numbers.
Information on the new FCC "Do Not Call" List

The following relates to exceptions to the Federal Telemarketing Rule (US), because telemarketers will be changing their tactics to fit under real or contrived exceptions to the Rule.

1.   Existing business relationship

Expect this to be the major route for telescum to circumvent "do not call" laws. This also ties in with how they collect numbers of victims.

Suggest providing them with bogus "home phone number" information. Best strategy is to identify one or two favourite pay phones, but a fax number is better than nothing. Presently "existing business relationship" is the major focus for telescum to circumvent "do not call" laws.

Important The "Existing Business Exception" is being used as an excuse to call people who make any call to a business. Until the Feds fine one of these operations $11,000 per call, expect this to be exploited even where there is no legitimate business relationship.

Use caller ID blocking (for outgoing calls).

If you don't have automatic caller ID blocking, get it. This is for outgoing calls.

Call "800" numbers from an office phone.

(Remember, caller ID blocking does not affect "800" numbers, which use ANI.

For calls to "800" numbers, tell them "Place me ON your 'Do Not Call' list." and act like you're recording their name on the computer.

More information is already on A Fun Lunchtime Project - to get off some of their targeted phone lists

2.   Intrastate Calls (in-state telemarketers)

If your state does not have a state rule, ask your representative why. This makes citizens of the state particularly vulnerable because telescum can use local calling centers and call directly from the Federal list.

(For those states does not have "Do Not Call" lists, if enough people added telephone numbers of pay phones to the Federal list, the Federal list would quickly become unusable as a valid number list for in-state telemarketers.)

As of this writing, the following states have no state "Do Not Call" lists active or pending:

• DC District of Columbia
• NC North Carolina

Here's a more comprehensive list from the Direct Marketing Assn: www.the-dma.org/government/

3.   Charities

now more than ever run; don't walk from charities which use telescum. Whatever the cause, there are always groups which don't use telescum. (They are usually applying a higher percentage of your donation to their cause anyway.)

4.   (Political calls are also excepted. If someone's stupid enough to campaign with telescum, you already know who to vote for!

Explain the Federal Telemarketing Rule

The FTC "donotcall" homepage is fairly simple to use. It can be called or invoked on the internet. Signing up via internet requires a valid email address. The FCC uses it for their "challenge" response, so use a real email address that you intend to use. This procedure is safe and the email address is not given out.

(Note: The "challenge" response is a long URL. Click on the URL when you get the email. If you get an "information is defective" message, then you have to assemble the long URL onto a single line, and try again. I think most browsers handle this automatically, however.)

RECOMMENDATION

Sign up if your state has a corresponding "DNC" list. It's probably useful even if your state does not offer "DNC" protection. (Please see the main Telemarketing Scum Page.)

As mentioned in the main Telemarketing Scum Page, increase their cost of making that call to the point where it's uneconomical.

Tell people the object is to, "Have a lot of fun."

Misinformation

• In general it doesn't hurt to give bad statistical data! Do you want to live in a statistical world?
• Tell people to give fax numbers to businesses collecting phone numbers. (In addition, give a bona-fida number as a "work" number if you think they really may need to reach you.)
• better yet.. - Keep a couple of working pay phone numbers in your wallet for the purpose. Many don't receive calls, so you need to verify them with a cellphone.
• Give absurd data when filling out forms for Customer Tracking Cards (mostly provided by low-end supermarkets). Obtain multiple cards. Give bad address data, even if they claim to have an "opt-out" mailing list. (The same applies to most businesses collecting home phone numbers. The words "home phone" fully explain the purpose of that question.)

  At least one supermarket chain will accept any phone number in lieu of a customer tracking card, and appears to "instant register" whatever you give them. They'll instant-register pay phones!

  In some cases, identification is required. Most of the ones that require identification do so for cheque cashing purposes, so it is likely they have a procedure for non-verified cards without check cashing privileges.

This is from the main page, but it also makes a good thing to suggest to friends:

Screen suspect calls

... using a real answering machine or caller ID. See The Telemarketing Scum Page for details.

Get a telephone anti-slam block

This permits you to go through all of the motions of accepting a long distance service plan and not get the plan. Then make sure you select a "no-fee  no-minimum" plan.

Don't say "hello" more than once.

Their call progress detection equipment partly depends on frustrated victims answering multiple times during the pause.

Consume time.

Try to consume as much time as possible, provided it is convenient to you. The idea is to get your number blacklisted. See Consuming Time on The Telemarketing Scum Page.

Experiment

Try to see what happens, for example, if you ask not to be recorded. (in-state telemarketing calls)

No Identity

If one asks "who are you working for?" the answer should be straightforward and honest. Or perhaps you're dealing with slime. (Telemarketers being slime -- what a surprise!)

If you like the pitch

see if someone else will match the deal and buy from them instead. You almost always will get a better deal.

Have a lot of FUN!

Tell friends to never patronize a charaty using telescum. It's just poor citizenship. It's not uncommon for the sleezeball charity to get 25 cents on the dollar generated by telemarketers. Again, suggest that people only deal with people who properly identify their employer.

More on the economics on the main Telemarketing Scum Page.

comment: sleezyness of charities' use of telemarketing.

---

Congressmen Who Voted Against the Federal Telemarketing Rule

A list of them is here (telemarketing_votes.html).

The following are completely different forms of action.

• Steal this webpage (and give it to Abbie Hoffman).
• Keep records. - documentation form

  for documenting calls, "do not call" requests and privacy requests. (Give the records to Abbie Hoffman.)

• Write privacy request letters (GLBA Requests). Sample Privacy Request Letter

  Sample privacy request letter for making privacy requests under the GLBA (Graham-Leach-Bliley Act (US)) (Don't sign them with Abbie Hoffman's name.)

• name individuals when filing complaints. (If you disagree with this tactic, that's okay!)

(back to The Telemarketing Scum Page)

Seattle Community Network
SCN Member Pages

main site first posted November 3, 1996; This site September 23, 2003 ~~ rev October 9, 2007 ~~ written in WordPerfect 5.1 ~~ copyright 2003 by S. Protigal ~~ Feel free to link to this.